AP United States Government and Politics



AP United States Government and Politics

The Advanced Placement Government and Politics course is taught as a year-long, every other day course in block schedule format. Each class period is ninety minutes. Students will be expected to watch weekly news programs and visit the online course Wiki Page.

All students must sit for the AP Government & Politics exam in the spring in order to receive credit for the course.

Teaching Strategies

The course is primarily lecture driven with some guided discussion. Students are expected to remain up to date on the latest current events. Supplemental readings and primary sources are also used on a regular basis to provide students with further information. Further, students have access to a course Wiki Page that will provide a space for discussion, review material, etc.

Course Overview/Description

AP Government and Politics explores political theory and the operation of American Government. The course is taught at the college level. All materials and text are geared towards a college experience. The AP Government exam requires rigorous preparation in order to succeed. In order to attain this level of success, students are expected to go beyond the basic understanding of how the United States government works. A successful AP Government student will be able to critically analyze the American government using current events and primary source information. Upon completion of this course, students should expect to be challenged in their political beliefs and have a deeper understanding of their rights and responsibilities as a citizen.

Course Readings:

Wilson, James Q., and John J. DiLulio Jr. American Government: Institutions and Policies. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Grading and Course Requirements

Each unit students are expected to take an AP like exam which will include rigorous multiple choice and free response questions (FRQ’s). Student’s grades are based primarily on these tests. However, students are expected to participate in a current event program. Students will additionally have to comprehend and interpret political cartoons (shown almost daily in class) and a diverse collection of charts and graphs that appear in class and on tests and quizzes. Further, students are expected to take vocabulary quizzes and participate in graded-guided discussions on-line. There are also four simulations for this course. For example students will run a mock U.S. Supreme.

Grade Break Down:

Test: 42%

Midterm/final: 20%

Discussions: 5%

Simulation: 20%

Current Events: 5%

On-line Homework 8%

The course will roughly follow the recommended AP U.S. Government and Politics Curriculum Outline. The outline has six major categories and percentage goals of the multiple choice section of the test. Class time will be roughly corresponding with these percentages. The content areas and percentages include:

1. Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government…………. 5-15%

2. Political Beliefs and Behaviors………………………………………..10-20%

3. Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media……………………10-20%

4. Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency,

Bureaucracy, and the Federal Courts………………………………35-45%

5. Public Policy……………………………………………………………5-15%

6. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties………………………………………...5-15%

UNIT 1 CONSTITUTIONAL UNDERPINNINGS

|Day 1 |Day 2 |Day 3 |Day 4 |

| | | | |

|Probe #1 MC 10 Questions. Review |Probe# 1.2 FRQ Review political |Probe#2 MC 10 Questions Review |Probe#2.1 FRQ Review political |

|political cartoon/graph |cartoon/graph |political cartoon/graph |cartoon/graph |

|Activity: Debate decision made by |Activity: Divide the house. Should|Activity Document Analysis: |Activity Debate: Who should be |

|Founding Fathers |classes have syllabi? |preamble to Constitution. |supreme the Federal or State |

|Lecture: Intro to American |Lecture: Constitution Part1 |Lecture: Constitution part II |Government. |

|Government |HW: Read Chapter 2 Do one online |HW: Read Chapter 2 Do one online |Lecture: Federalism Part 1 |

|HW: Read Chapter 1 Do one online |activity. |activity. |HW: Read Chapter 3 Do one online |

|activity. | | |activity. |

|Day 5 |Day 6 |Day 7 |Day 8 |

| | | | |

|Probe #3 MC 10 Questions Review |Probe #3.1 FRQ Review political |Video: Ted Talk |TEST #1 |

|political cartoon/graph |cartoon/graph |Review Question Round Up. 20 key |60 Multiple Choice Questions |

|Activity Debate the 10th |UNIT PROJECT: Position |questions from Cornell Notes |2 FRQ’s |

|Amendment: |paper/debate |Lecture: test review & unit | |

|Lecture: Federalism Part 2 |HW: Test Prep |summary. | |

|HW: Read Chapter 3 Do one online | |HW: Study for Unit Test | |

|activity. | | | |

UNIT 2 POLTICAL BELIEFS AND BEHAVIORS

|Day 1 |Day 2 |Day 3 |Day 4 |

| | | | |

|Probe #4 MC 10 Questions. Review |Probe# 4.1 FRQ Review political |Probe#7 MC 10 Questions Review |Probe#7.1 FRQ Review political |

|political cartoon/graph |cartoon/graph |political cartoon/graph |cartoon/graph |

|Activity: 911 Dispatcher what is |Activity Discussion why are |Activity Group Work explain why |Activity Debate: Who should be |

|more important? |Americans comfortable with |Founding fathers public opinion |supreme the Federal or State |

|Lecture: American Political |economic disparity? |should not matter. |Government. |

|Culture part 1 |Lecture: American Political |Lecture: Public Opinion part 2 |Lecture: Federalism Part 1 |

|HW: Read Chapter 4 Do one online |Culture part 2 |HW: Read Chapter 7 Do one online |HW: Read Chapter 8 Do one online |

|activity. |HW: Read Chapter 7 Do one online |activity. |activity. |

| |activity. | | |

|Day 5 |Day 6 |Day 7 |Day 8 |

| | | | |

|Probe #8 MC 10 Questions Review |Probe #8.1 FRQ Review political |Activity Discussion what method of|TEST #2 |

|political cartoon/graph |cartoon/graph |political participation would help|60 Multiple Choice Questions |

|Activity Pose Question For |UNIT PROJECT: run a political |college age citizens be more |2 FRQ’s |

|Notebook responsibility |opinion poll. |involved? | |

|Lecture: Political Participation | |Lecture Political Participation | |

|Part 1 | |part 2 | |

|HW: Read Chapter 3 Do one online | |HW: Study for Unit Test | |

|activity. | | | |

UNIT 3 POLTICAL PARTIES, INTREST GROUPS, ELECTIONS AND MEDIA

|Day 1 |Day 2 |Day 3 |Day 4 |

| | | | |

|Probe #9 MC 10 Questions. Review |Probe# 9.1 FRQ Review political |Probe#10 MC 10 Questions Review |Probe#10.1 FRQ Review political |

|political cartoon/graph |cartoon/graph |political cartoon/graph |cartoon/graph |

|Activity: Computer Lab Political |Activity Discussion why has the |Activity Demonstration how the |Activity TED talk |

|Compass |party system persisted in |Electoral College works. |Lecture: Campaigns |

|Lecture: American Political |America? |Video: Mathology of the Electoral |HW: Read Chapter 11 Do one online |

|Parties part 1 |Lecture: American Political |College |activity. |

|HW: Read Chapter 9 Do one online |Parties part 2 |Lecture: Elections | |

|activity. |HW: Read Chapter 10 Do one online|HW: Read Chapter 10 Do one online | |

| |activity. |activity. | |

|Day 5 |Day 6 |Day 7 |Day 8 |

| | | | |

|Probe #11 MC 10 Questions Review |Probe #12.0 political MC 10 |Probe #12.1 FRQ |TEST #3 |

|political cartoon/graph |Questions cartoon/graph |Activity Twitter-great political |60 Multiple Choice Questions |

|Activity Group Work 4 types of |Activity Watch 4 newscasts. Which|events in 135 characters. |2 FRQ’s |

|Interest Groups-who joins them |one was Liberal and why? |Lecture Media part 2 | |

|and why |Lecture: Media part 1 |HW: Study for Unit Test | |

|Lecture: Interest Groups |HW: Read Chapter 12 | | |

|HW: Read Chapter 3 Do one online | | | |

|activity. | | | |

UNIT 4A INSTITUTIONS OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

|Day 1 |Day 2 |Day 3 |Day 4 |

| | | | |

|Video: Ted Talk |Probe# 13 MC 10 Questions. Review|Probe#13.1 FRQ Questions Review |Activity Skit what if your |

|Activity: Discussion what did the |political cartoon/graph |political cartoon/graph |teacher acted like congress. |

|framers see as the duties of |Activity Discussion Is Congress |Activity Group Work split class into |Cornell Note Round Up. |

|Congress? |broken? |4 groups & list differences between |Video West Wing Stackhouse |

|Lecture: Congress part 1 |Lecture: Congress part 2 |senate and congress (knock out) |Filibuster |

|HW: Read Chapter 13 Do one online |HW: Read Chapter 13 Do one online |Lecture: How a bill becomes a law. |HW Read 14 Do one online activity|

|activity. |activity. | | |

|Day 5 |Day 6 |Day 7 |Day 8 |

| | | | |

|Probe #14 MC 10 Questions Review |Activity Discussion what are the |Probe #14.1 FRQ |TEST #4 |

|political cartoon/graph |outlined powers of the president? |Activity Demonstration structures of |60 Multiple Choice Questions |

|Video- alternative to electoral |Activity List your top ten |leadership. |2 FRQ’s |

|College |presidents and why. |Lecture Presidency part 2 | |

|Lecture: Presidency My favorite |Lecture: Presidency part 1 |HW: Study for Unit Test | |

|president and why. | | | |

|HW: Read Chapter 14 Do one online | | | |

|activity. | | | |

UNIT 4B INSTITUTIONS OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

|Day 1 |Day 2 |Day 3 |Day 4 |

| | | | |

|Probe #16 MC 10 questions. Review |Probe# 16.1 FRQ Questions. Review|Activity Generate to 24 court |Probe # 15 MC 10 questions. Review |

|political cartoon/graph |political cartoon/graph |cases of all time bracket |political cartoon/graph |

|Activity: Advanced Organizer The |Activity Demonstration judicial |Bracket Discussion. |Video opening scene to Brazil |

|Court System |review? |HW read 15 Do one online activity|Discussion on aspects of video and |

|Lecture: Supreme Court part 1 |Lecture: Supreme Court part 2 | |bureaucracy |

|HW: Read Chapter 13 Do one online |HW: Visit Oyez-Oyez generate top | |Lecture Bur. Part1 |

|activity. |10 list of cases | |HW Read 15 Do one online activity |

| | | |SCAV Hunt |

|Day 5 |Day 6 |Day 7 |Day 8 |

| | | | |

|Probe #15 FRQ Questions Review |Activity Supreme Court Simulation |Activity Supreme Court Simulation|TEST #4B |

|political cartoon/graph | | |60 Multiple Choice Questions |

|Scavenger Hunt | | |2 FRQ’s |

|Lecture: Bureaucracy part 2. | | | |

|HW: Prepare for Supreme Court | | | |

|Simulation | | | |

| | |HW Prepare for unit test | |

UNIT 5 PUBLIC POLICY

|Day 1 |Day 2 |Day 3 |Day 4 |

| | | | |

|Probe #17 MC 10 questions. Review |Probe# 17.1 FRQ Questions. Review|MACRO ECONOMICS DAY! |Activity Debate- Should the US |

|political cartoon/graph |political cartoon/graph | |trade for hostages? |

|Activity: Discussion government |Activity Problem Solving Perceived|Lecture 1: DEBT |Video scene from Pearl Harbor |

|regulation diagram |Cost v. Perceived Benefit? |Lecture 2: GNP |FDR’s decision |

|Lecture: Domestic Policy part 1 |Lecture: Domestic part 2 |Lecture 3: Budget |Lecture: Foreign Policy |

|HW: Read Chapter 17 Do one online | |Lecture 4: how the FED works. |HW Read 19 Do one online activity |

|activity. | | | |

| | |HW Take home FRQ | |

|Day 5 |Day 6 |Day 7 |Day 8 |

| |Probe# 19.1 FRQ Questions. Review| | |

|Probe #19 10 MC Questions Review |political cartoon/graph |Activity Visit the US Army web page. |TEST #5 |

|political cartoon/graph |Activity Split the room which |Discussion: Should there be a draft? |60 Multiple Choice Questions |

|Lecture: Foreign Policy part 2. |world view to you have and why? |Lecture: Perceived cost and benefit |2 FRQ’s |

|HW: Read 19 Do one on line |Lecture: War Powers Act |of wars | |

|activity. | |HW Prepare for unit Test | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | |HW Prepare for unit test | |

UNIT 6 CIVIL RIGHTS CIVIL LIBERTIES

|Day 1 |Day 2 |Day 3 |Day 4 |

| | | | |

|Probe #1 MC 10 Questions. Review |Probe# 1.2 FRQ Review political |Probe#2 MC 10 Questions Review |Probe#2.1 FRQ Review political |

|political cartoon/graph |cartoon/graph |political cartoon/graph |cartoon/graph |

|Activity: Debate decision made by |Activity: Divide the house. Should|Activity Document Analysis: |Activity Debate: Who should be |

|Founding Fathers |classes have syllabi? |preamble to Constitution. |supreme the Federal or State |

|Lecture: Intro to American |Lecture: Constitution Part1 |Lecture: Constitution part II |Government. |

|Government |HW: Read Chapter 2 Do one online |HW: Read Chapter 2 Do one online |Lecture: Federalism Part 1 |

|HW: Read Chapter 1 Do one online |activity. |activity. |HW: Read Chapter 3 Do one online |

|activity. | | |activity. |

|Day 5 |Day 6 |Day 7 |Day 8 |

| | | | |

|Probe #3 MC 10 Questions Review |Probe #3.1 FRQ Review political |Video: Ted Talk |TEST #1 |

|political cartoon/graph |cartoon/graph |Review Question Round Up. 20 key |60 Multiple Choice Questions |

|Activity Debate the 10th |UNIT PROJECT: Position |questions from Cornell Notes |2 FRQ’s |

|Amendment: |paper/debate |Lecture: test review & unit | |

|Lecture: Federalism Part 2 |HW: Test Prep |summary. | |

|HW: Read Chapter 3 Do one online | |HW: Study for Unit Test | |

|activity. | | | |

AP EXAM

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